'nitwot' is an old joke, Judy, I can't exactly remember its provenance.
Maybe the Rodent can recall?
Best
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Prince" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 2:01 AM
Subject: Re: Colonisation
> a nitwot, dave?
>
> and thank you for not including my name on your friend list as it mite get
me bounced off the petc list just after you.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > From: David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>
> > Date: 2006/01/01 Sun PM 08:48:13 EST
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Colonisation
> >
> > Alison, tush!
> >
> > I am probably the most non-racist person in existence, my best friends
> > include the born-in-France but Alsatian-by-descent Roger, the Scots
nitwot
> > Rob, the lovely Safia who doesn't even know whether her descent is Hindu
or
> > Moslem, because all her family are atheists from South Africa, my two
lovely
> > ladies: Victoria (who is Anglo-Italian-Welsh) and Lydia (who is part
> > Swedish, part American, part Irish)
> >
> > etc, etc
> >
> > Best
> >
> > dave
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 1:29 AM
> > Subject: Re: Colonisation
> >
> >
> > > Yes David, it is possible to talk about racism without espousing
racist
> > > attitudes. I'm just not certain that you were doing that.
> > >
> > > On 2/1/06 12:06 PM, "David Bircumshaw" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > I do strongly disagree on this: there was never a cultural myth of
> > > > British 'innocence'
> > >
> > > Wow! Even my personal experience speaks otherwise. My mother (a
product of
> > > the Raj, as were many of my ancestors - the administrative upper
middle
> > > class that ruled India) is full of it. The British were benevolent and
did
> > > the countries they colonised enormous good; they were there to
civilise
> > and
> > > to help the "natives"; the "natives" loved them (like my Great Great
Uncle
> > > George, who was "adored" by the Tibetans because he "looked after"
them)
> > > &c&c. George Monbiot quotes a few of those myths as currently retailed
in
> > > his article. And yes, Victorian English novels, children's histories
and
> > so
> > > on are full of this kind of rubbish.
> > >
> > > Best
> > >
> > > A
> > >
> > >
> > > Alison Croggon
> > >
> > > Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
> > > Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
> > > Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
> >
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